In the last few days of December I stumbled upon a yoga youtube video that I really liked. I found out that there was going to be a Yoga Camp, 30 new videos that you can follow everyday in January, from Yoga With Adriene. I figured why not try yoga. I went out, bought a mat, and waited for the New Year.

I’ve been needing something to do that is a positive physical habit because I hate going to the gym. I remember trying to go to the gym in college, looking at equipment that I had no idea how to use as people watched me struggle. Our gym was open to the outside and always full of guys lifting weights…not exactly my scene.

I’ve been keeping up with the daily videos by e-mail subscription which is awesome because she includes positive daily mantras, quotes, and random bits to keep you thinking and sticking with it. Today there was a beautiful poem that I want to share…until everyone has read it.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Whew! I’ve been gone quite some time…I felt like I had nothing to post for the longest time, and then I just got out of the habit

BUT!

I’m ready to get back in the saddle, metaphorically speaking of course.

Anywho, I’ve decided to mainly focus this blog on my crafting endeavors, with the occasional book review, cooking tidbit, or Goodwill discovery making its way on here.

Now on to exciting news! On the 6th I participated in my first craft show!!!

It was very cold in the building hence me being all bundled up. As you can see, I have some lovely wares for sale including knitted wrist warmers, jewelry, and adorable holiday aprons.

Sadly I sold nothing.

I do have a few bright sides.

People said they liked my work.

People weren’t in a buying mood. No vendors really sold much.

I DID IT!

I think the last one is most important. I am really good at a few things, but I feel I truly excel at procrastinating. Why do today what I can put off til tomorrow?

And yes, I did sign up for this show two weeks before it happened so I have a ton of material leftover to make even more holiday aprons, but I now have actual stock to put in an Etsy shop. So be on the lookout for lifeisjustduckie on Etsy to fill all your holiday apron needs.

Like this:

Monday was my day off so I spent it very responsibly…binge-watching the first season of Garfunkel and Oates and going to the movies. I loved Garfunkel and Oates, more about it later though.

I was excited to see ’71. It documents a British soldier’s experiences over a night in Belfast during The Troubles. In 2012 I went to Belfast for two weeks with my school. We learned about The Troubles and heard from active participants on either side.

I loved the movie. I thought the story, the actors, the visual elements, and the production values were wonderful. It feels like a documentary, which helped get you immediately invested.

I really enjoyed the costume design as well. The soldier takes a sweater from a clothesline and I spent a few seconds debating if I could make it. Being set in the 70s there were wonderful suits and fun short dresses. The colour palette was very muted; a lot of neutrals with the men’s clothing and uniforms with brighter additions on the women and children.

The movie was fast-paced, packing a lot of story into a short amount of time. At times I was a little skeptical about the events as they were unfolding, but it definitely helped to keep me interested in the story. I was a little confused about who was on which side until almost the end of the movie; I’m not sure if that was intentional or if I didn’t pay enough attention, but the confusion lent itself very well to the “I don’t know who to trust” theme.

While ’71 might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I definitely recommend it.

I finally got to Burke’s, the bookstore around the corner from the intern house. I bought three books and blazed through one in a few days.

Gene Wilder’s memoir, kiss me like a stranger, was an open and honest glimpse into his life. I’ve always loved Gene Wilder in everything I’ve seen him in (not much as I found out) and I was excited to read about him.

Growing up I first saw Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which I was incredibly surprised to learn was considered a flop at the box office. It only earned $4,000,000, one million more than its budget. I also discovered that Wilder was a writer having many ideas turned into movies, most well-known to me being Young Frankenstein.

Reading about Gene Wilder’s stage days were particularly interesting because I hadn’t known about them. He auditioned for and became part of The Actors Studio, here he was mentored by Lee Strasburg. In those early days Gene had focused on being dramatic instead of playing to his comedic strengths, and Strasburg called him out on it, saying:

“I got news for you: If you don’t know how you’re going to act some part of the script–work on what you do know. Build up your confidence a little bit. That will help you find what you don’t know.”

I was struck by this statement. So often I focus on what I need to be doing and learning and working on that I forget to play to my strengths. I spend too much of my time and energy worrying about how I’m doing compared to others. My biggest competition is myself; as long as I’m doing better than I was yesterday that should count as a win.

I loved this book. The flow was easy and made me want to read way past my bedtime. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, specifically theatre people and those interested in Gene Wilder.